Sports have always been a big part of his life, and one day Rajat Agarwal hopes to be an anchor on CBS Sports or ESPN. A Broadcast and New Media major from Knoxville, Tennessee Agarwal is now one of the sports anchors for ELN. Unlike some of the population, Agarwal enjoys being on camera and giving presentations in class. But, he also enjoys being behind the scenes too, by learning how to direct, create packages, and set up proper interviews.

Agarwal has had two great internship experiences, one with a radio station and another with a TV station, both in Knoxville, Tennessee. The internships revolved around athletics with the stations partnering with University of Tennessee. At the radio station, Agarwal assisted in the development of the show by getting notes and stats for the anchors, looking up biographies for the players, and running the soundboard. At WVLT Volunteer TV, Agarwal was taught how to film practices and games. And by the end of his internship the anchors would throw him the camera and let him go! He said, “I would do some of the shooting. And the days we weren’t super rushed, I would be able to edit and put together packages, and basically stack the show.”

Role models are people we look up to as an example to be imitated. Chris Fowler is Agarwal’s role model because “he is maybe one of the few [sports anchors] that covers every sport.” Chris Fowler can be best known for hosting “College GameDay” on ESPN. He is a guru when it comes to college football, but also has the ability to venture over to tennis or basketball. Agarwal thinks Fowler’s is one of the most talented sportscasters because he is so well versed in all things sports.

Although Agarwal’s passion lies in sports anchoring, he believes it is a dying market, specifically on local stations. Since ESPN, CBS, and other big networks are beginning to cover all sports ranging from high school to professional, the local stations are finding ways to save money by cutting back on the sports departments.

But, Agarwal acknowledges that he will have to start in a smaller market before jumping up to ESPN, CBS Sports, or any other big network. He has “a big respect for college athletes and how they are able to balance playing, going to practice everyday, and getting work done,” so covering collegiate sports is something that he has already begun to enjoy.

Make sure to tune into ELN to see Rajat Agarwal at 6:00PM on Monday nights. Also check out ELN’s website for more updates on breaking news. ELN is aired on channel 5 or online at elonstudenttv.com. For more information on the show follow them on Twitter @ElonLocalNews and “Like” them on Facebook.

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